Did you know that 1 out of every 6 american women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime? That statistic makes it clear to me that a good portion of you know what I am talking about. More importantly, you not only know what i'm talking about but you have survived a horrific part of your story. Not the whole story, but a part of it. And what i've noticed more, is that there are not enough christians talking about it. We need more people to stand up and say "ME TOO," because how are we supposed to know that we are not alone and that even this most deafening hole inside of us can be healed? Justice is needed and the Lord knows I will go down fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. But sometimes, we need to know that at the other end of it, there is healing; there is peace.
I recently watched Kesha's new music video, "praying." I was not prepared for my emotions that came while I watched it. After all, I understood it. I was watching so many emotions being played out in this music video. She is a survivor. And we get it, don't we?
And I was so thankful that I could relate with someone. After all, sexual assault is not something people talk about. I had no idea how much I needed to hear some words that I could relate with in my day to day living. Now, I am normally not a fan of Kesha. But as you know, I can get down with some words that ring true. And these words, I could resonate with. But what you also need to know, is that they only resonated with me because of John 10:10.
I could relate because I actually felt the words that she sang:
"I am proud of who I am. No more monsters, I can breathe again. And you said I was done, well you were wrong and now the best is yet to come."
I felt them every time Satan lied to me saying that I was "done." That I was "not worthy." I felt them every time I told myself that I was not worth loving and that I was damaged goods. I felt them every time I turned to every single thing or person that would numb the pain that I was feeling. To fill the void that my attacker dug deep into me.
I felt them every time I heard the Lord give me a promise that the best was yet to come:
"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness of the prisoners... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a plantain got the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated" Isaiah 61: 1-4
"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them." Isaiah 61: 8
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desrt and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will amok the Valley of Achor a door of HOPE. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of egypt. " In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me "my husband" Hosea 2:14-16
Dear sweet loved one who has survived an unthinkable horror, you are LOVED. Not the cheap kind. But the authentic, whole hearted, no strings attached love. You are loved by the God who hates what has happened to you. You are loved by the God who fights for you. The God who holds you close as he heals all of your dark and broken places.
Because dear one, you need to know that there is not enough justice in the world that will compensate what has been done to you.
You need to know that justice is worth fighting for. But more importantly, healing is attainable and worth running after. Real healing; the kind of healing that takes your deepest pain and turns it into the most beautiful story. One of freedom and redemption. Healing that takes your chains that have so tightly held you down, and throws them the hell off. You know that deep pit of emptiness you feel? You don't have to feel like that again.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
Do you know that is why I made this temporary tattoo? Because Christ has given me this freedom that I thought was stolen from me when I was 18 years old. Because this Love grabbed my heart and did not settle until every ounce of it was His. Dear one, there is freedom to be had. You have a God who not only wants to heal these dark wounds, but wants to REDEEM you. Not just this one horrific thing that happened, but every single wound that has ever been inflicted on you. He wants to give back what your attackers took. And he does, my friends. He truly does. It's about time you heard from more people about the God who passionately wants your heart and redeems all the places that were once devastated by the sin of this world.
The enemy will try to steal and kill and destroy you. He will try to tell you that you are worthless. That God does not care. That how could a good God let something like this happen? But you need to know the truth that these are LIES. After all, satan is the father of lies. But what you need to know MORE is the truth. The truth that your Good God loves and adores you. And He is Hell bent on setting you free. He gave His own life so that you would not have to spend one more more second in this earthly hell.
"I am proud of who i am. No more monsters, I can breathe again."
Jesus has come to give you life to the FULL. And that means a full and healed life. A life where you can breathe again. And my sweet friends, what better place to receive breath, than the God who put it in you to begin with.
Breathe easy sweet survivors, The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still. (exodus 14:14) Freedom is waiting.